Chapter Twenty-Two
“Settle down,” she chided her brother, although she didn’t blame him. It would be a long time before they flew first class again, if ever.
“I can’t, sis, I’m too excited.”
Maisy didn’t blame him; she was excited, too, and more than a little apprehensive.
Meeting Chase’s father was a big deal. It signaled how serious their relationship had become in a relatively short time.
She should have refused the trip, telling Chase it was too early for her to be introduced to Simon Furst. Chase must have known, as he made it impossible for her to say no by including Patrick.
Maisy couldn’t deny Patrick what was sure to be the experience of a lifetime.
“How much longer?” Patrick asked for the tenth time.
“Not long,” she promised.
The four-and-a-half-hour flight passed sluggishly as Maisy struggled with her emotions.
She had to admit how eager she was to be with Chase again.
They’d grown close through their nightly conversations.
She longed to be in his arms again. The kisses they’d shared had rocked her world, and she was greedy for more.
Chase was quickly becoming her everything, and that terrified her.
When they were ready to leave Seattle, Sean dropped them off at the airport.
It went without saying how apprehensive he was that she’d agreed to this trip.
Maisy knew his displeasure was more concern than irritation.
He was convinced that while everything was currently wine and roses, the time would come when this relationship would burn itself out, leaving Maisy with a shattered heart.
She knew it, too, and couldn’t keep herself from holding on to the hope that somehow, some way, she and Chase would find a means of being together. She was an eternal optimist.
On landing at O’Hare, the plane skidded to a halt. Patrick let out a whoop of joy. “We’re here. We’re here.” The entire plane must have heard him, because there were smiles all around.
They exited the plane and found Chase waiting on the other side of security. Full of excitement, Patrick raced to him and tossed his arms around Chase’s middle.
“Hold on there, buddy,” Chase said and laughed, as he held out his arms to Maisy.
She was quickly enveloped in his embrace. “Welcome to Chicago,” he said, before he kissed her long and hard, as if it’d been weeks since they’d last been together. When they broke apart, Maisy found Patrick had covered his eyes, not wanting to watch his sister being kissed.
Maisy touched his shoulder. “You can look now,” she told him, unable to keep from smiling.
Chase wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her close to his side. They walked down to baggage claim. When their suitcases appeared on the baggage carousel, Patrick practically leaped onto the belt.
“Patrick, stop!” Maisy cried. Her brother needed to tamp down his enthusiasm. This was his first airplane ride and his first experience in an airport. Maisy should have better prepared him.
Chase stopped him and reached for the suitcases himself.
Once they had their luggage, Chase called for his driver. They arrived at the predetermined spot and the three of them climbed into the backseat.
Patrick sat between them, but that didn’t stop Chase from reaching for Maisy’s hand.
“I’ve never stayed overnight in a hotel before,” Patrick said.
“Then you’re in for a treat.”
“Where did you book us?” Maisy asked, although it didn’t matter. All she cared about was spending time with Chase.
“The Ritz.” He said this as casually as if he had commented on the weather.
Her eyes widened. The Ritz-Carlton! That had to be one of the most expensive hotels in town.
An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach.
She would have been happy at the Holiday Inn, and Patrick, too.
The Ritz was too much. Everything Chase did was too much.
It was one of the big differences between them.
Maisy and her family lived frugally, whereas Chase was accustomed to and expected only the best of everything.
“It’s conveniently close to the office,” Chase told her, before she could object.
“Your dad is at the office on a weekend?”
“He is today. He’s busy getting ready for this trip to Europe.”
Chase had mentioned his father’s travel schedule a couple of times.
She wasn’t sure of the details; the feeling she got, however, was that this was an important one.
Simon would be away from the office for several weeks.
This meant Chase would be putting in extra hours.
He assured her he would continue with their nightly chats, although it would likely be later than usual.
“If your father is busy preparing for this trip, should we intrude?”
“It’s fine, Maisy. Dad wants to meet you, and I want you to meet him. There’s no need to be nervous.”
“Okay.” She wanted to believe him, but couldn’t help being unsettled.
“Once you’ve met Dad, we’ll return to the hotel. I’ve arranged for Laura and Bella to stop by there for high tea.”
Seeing her best friend and Bella was one aspect of her visit Maisy looked forward to the most. They remained in close communication and spoke often. Laura was well aware of Maisy’s feelings for Chase, and urged her to be cautious.
“When do the Cubs play?” Patrick asked, pulling on Chase’s sleeve to get his attention.
“Tomorrow,” Chase told him.
As they neared the hotel, Chase said, “I’ve already checked you in and have your room keys. Once you drop off your suitcases, we’ll walk over to the office. It’s easier than driving.”
“Sounds good.”
Their time in the hotel was brief. Maisy wasn’t sure she was mentally prepared to meet Simon Furst so soon after her arrival. Chase had compacted a lot into the two days they would be in town.
Maisy barely had time to look around their two-bedroom suite before Chase ushered them out the door. As promised, the walk to the Furst Bank office building was short.
“Would you like to meet Guy?” he asked.
Maisy knew Chase had tried hard to get his new friend into government-sponsored housing, to no avail.
Guy seemed determined to remain exactly where he was.
Chase wasn’t giving up, though. He was determined to do what he could to build trust, with the hope that in time, Guy would be willing to accept the help he needed.
“I would enjoy meeting Guy,” she told him.
With his hand at the small of her back, he led her into the alley. Guy had a tent pitched behind a dumpster.
Chase called out to him and the flap of the tent opened. “Hey, Guy, I want to introduce you to my girl and her brother.”
At the sound of Chase’s voice, Guy crawled out of the tent. “Guy, this is Maisy and Patrick.”
“You his woman?” Guy asked Maisy.
She laughed and nodded. “It seems that way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Guy. Chase has told me a lot about you.”
Guy snickered. “Not much to tell.” For being homeless, he was well kept. His hair, while uncombed, was cut a decent length and his beard was trimmed. His clothes weren’t ragged, either. Maisy figured his clean appearance was due to Chase, but didn’t mention it.
“You got yourself a good man,” Guy told her with a hard nod, as if to say it was so.
“How come you live in a tent?” Patrick asked inquisitively.
Guy shrugged. “Bad decisions. Don’t you go making them, you hear?”
“No, sir, I won’t.”
“Good,” Guy said.
They stopped off at Starbucks, and Chase brought Guy coffee and lunch. He let Patrick deliver the bag while the barista finished their order. Patrick returned as the barista handed Maisy and Chase their lattes.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” he asked Patrick again.
“No, thank you.”
Maisy was proud of Patrick’s manners. Manners and kindness were something drilled into them by their parents.
Their father had been a good example of both traits in dealing with difficult customers at the store.
When someone arrived disappointed or upset with a purchase, their father handled the matter with composure and gentle understanding.
Without fail, the customer left with a smile.
Maisy did her best to do the same, but feared she simply didn’t have the tact her father had.
Gallagher Jewels was the last thing she wanted to think about.
It seemed inevitable that the store would need to close its doors soon.
The accumulation of debt made it impossible to remain open much longer.
Not wanting to mull over that unpleasantness, Maisy focused her attention on Chase.
She noticed his pride in anticipation of showing her his office and was pleased with the changes she’d seen in him since they’d first met.
Furst Bank headquarters was a skyscraper that rose thirty floors. A security guard greeted Chase by name and opened the glass doors to allow them into the building. Chase and his father occupied the top floor. He pointed toward the elevator and entered a code in the keypad there.
Unable to hide her nerves, Maisy clenched her hands together. Her mind circled around several scenarios of how this meeting would go. Simon Furst would probably be suspicious of her the same way Sean was of Chase.
Maisy wouldn’t fault him. The vast discrepancy between their lifestyles was cause for suspicion. Chase’s father must question what it was about her that compelled Chase to bring her to Chicago so they could meet.
Once on the top floor, Chase gave her a quick tour of his office.
Patrick poked his head into the private restroom. Having a good look, Patrick turned to Chase.
“You have a shower in your office?” her brother cried out.
“I do.”
“That’s weird,” Patrick mumbled.
“Patrick,” Maisy whispered, reminding him to be respectful.
Chase smiled, revealing amusement at the comment. “Sometimes I arrive to work after a long business trip and need to come directly to the office. I keep an extra set of clothes here so I can take a quick shower and get down to business.”
This was another reminder of how busy and important Chase was. She appreciated that he had taken an entire weekend to spend with her and Patrick, and wondered how late he’d stayed at the office to make that possible.
Next, Chase showed them the huge conference room with a long table that could seat up to twenty people. A large screen occupied one entire wall.
“You have a kitchen, too?” Patrick said, as they sauntered to the area adjacent to the conference room. “You could live here!” Patrick exclaimed, utterly amazed.
“We often employ a caterer to prepare meals,” Chase explained.
Leading the way out of the kitchen, he turned the corner to the beverage island with an elaborate coffee machine.
“The support staff is welcome to help themselves to whatever they wish,” he explained.
The lower half of the island was a refrigerator filled with a variety of drinks, sodas, Vitaminwater, seltzers, and just about anything one could imagine.
Patrick’s gaze focused on the sodas. “Wow.”
“Help yourself,” Chase urged.
Patrick looked at Maisy, who nodded.
Eagerly, Patrick opened the glass door and reached for a root beer.
While her brother guzzled down the soda, Chase took Maisy’s hand. “You ready to meet my father?”
She nodded, but her stomach was already tight with nerves. “Sure.”
Simon’s office was on the opposite side of the floor. Chase knocked and then opened the door.
Simon Furst sat at a massive mahogany desk. He looked up as the three entered and frowned as if he didn’t appreciate the intrusion. Maisy kept Patrick at her side, her arm around his shoulders. She felt like she needed to protect her younger brother.
If Chase noticed the lack of welcome, he didn’t show it.
“Dad, this is Maisy Gallagher and her brother Patrick.”
Simon stood and stretched out his arm. Patrick hesitatingly stepped forward and the two exchanged handshakes. Simon carefully studied the boy.
Maisy was next.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Furst,” she said, swallowing her nervousness and hoping the quiver in her voice didn’t give her away.
He nodded, wearing the same expression. “The same.”
He certainly didn’t seem pleased, so she said nothing more. Silence, she felt, was the best response.
Simon gestured to the chairs across from his desk. “Take a seat.”
It was more of a command than any effort to assure that she and Patrick made themselves comfortable.
Maisy took a chair, and Patrick claimed the one next to her. Her brother glanced nervously in her direction. She squared her shoulders, refusing to allow this man to intimidate her, although he clearly had.
“Chase,” Simon said, turning his attention to his son. “Why don’t you give Patrick a tour of the office.”
“He already did,” Patrick piped up.
“I’m sure there are areas you haven’t seen yet,” Simon said dismissively. “I’d like to have a few minutes alone with Ms. Gallagher.”
“Dad?” Chase demanded, clearly uneasy with this turn of events. “What’s this about?”
“Exactly what I said. I’d like a few minutes alone with Maisy. I’m sure the boy would like a more extended tour,” Simon insisted.
Patrick looked to Maisy as if he wasn’t sure he should leave her. He wasn’t alone. Chase frowned at his father and then sent an inquisitive look her way.
“It’s fine,” she assured them both. And wondered if it really was.
Reluctantly, Chase and Patrick left the room. Maisy felt their absence as keenly as if she’d been left alone in the lion’s den.